MCMPL NEWSLETTER
Mary C. Moore Public Library
Announcements & Events
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Online newsletter: http://www.lacombelibr ar y.com/newsletter /
Monthly feature display: Come hither and check out our display of fiction set in Medieval
times!
Join our Reading Challenge!: Explor e new author s and titles, and gr ow as a r eader . Pick up a
Reading Challenge bookmark at the library and read a book for each category listed. When you complete your challenge, fill in your info and drop off your bookmark at the library to be entered into the
draw for a fabulous prize, before September 28. You can also post book reviews on our facebook
page or hand in a written review to be posted on the bulletin board in the library and featured in our
newsletter! For even more reading fun, do your challenge with your friends and family!
Monday-Thursday
10am-8pm
Friday
10am-5pm
Saturday
10am-5pm
Sunday & Stat Holidays
Closed
Colouring Club for Adults: Wednesdays, September 7 & 21, drop-in 6-8pm in the library. Relax,
unwind and enjoy quiet conversation while being creative! All materials provided. This program is
free to attend! Adults only and older teens only, please. See our website for upcoming dates.
Library Services
Film Club: For our September 27 meeting we ar e watching Still M ine, dir ected by Michael
McGowan. Still Mine is an exquisitely crafted and deeply affecting love story about a couple in their
twilight years. Based on true events and laced with wry humor, Still Mine tells the heartfelt tale of
Craig Morrison, who comes up against the system when he sets out to build a more suitable house for
his ailing wife Irene. Although Morrison uses the same methods his father, an accomplished shipbuilder, taught him, times have changed. He quickly gets blindsided by local building codes and bureaucratic officials. As Irene becomes increasingly ill - and amidst a series of stop-work orders Craig races to finish the house. Hauled into court and facing jail, Craig takes a final stance against all
odds in a truly inspirational story. Rated PG-13. Join the discussion 7pm in the library.
Free public computer access
Armchair Travel and Local History Lectures will r esume in October .
Book Club: For our October 4 meeting we ar e r eading T he L ove Song of M iss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce. “When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of
England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was
dying. How can she wait? A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again;
only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty
years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, 'Even though you've done
your travelling, you're starting a new journey too.' Queenie thought her first letter would be the end
of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.”
Children’s Programs: Registr ation for r egular fall pr ograms began Monday, August 29 at
10am. There are still a few spaces available — Call us or stop by to register. Classes run September
12 - October 29 and November 7 - December 16. No classes November 11. Children will be registered in both sessions, unless informed otherwise. There is a one-time fee of $5/family, or a craft
supply donation (pom-poms, pipe cleaners, etc.). See our website for dates and times. *There are still
a few spaces available for ages 3-5 on Tuesday afternoons. All other programs are FULL. See our
website for monthly special events.
Free Wi-Fi
Printing
Faxing
Scan-to-email
Photocopying
Reference Questions
eBook/Audio downloads
Regular Programs
Children’s Programs
Monthly Book Club
Knitting Club
Monthly Film Club
Adult Colouring Club
Local History Lectures
Armchair Travel Presentations
Mary C. Moore Public Library 101-5214 50 Ave. Lacombe, AB T4L 0B6
403-782-3433
[email protected]
lacombelibrary.com
New Book Spotlight
A selection of our recent acquisitions
Adult Fiction
Tears in the Grass by Lynda A. Archer
At ninety years of age, Elinor, a Saskatchewan Cree artist, inveterate roll-your-own smoker, and talker to rivers and
stuffed bison, sets out to find something that was stolen almost a lifetime ago. With what little time she has left, she is
determined to find the child taken from her when she, only a child herself, survived a rape at a residential school. It is
1968, and a harsh winter and harsher attitudes await Elinor, her daughter, and her granddaughter as they set out on an
odyssey to right past wrongs, enduring a present that tests their spirit and chips away at their aboriginal heritage. Confronting a history of trauma, racism, love, and cultural survival, Tears in the Grass is the story of one woman's unflagging search for her lost child and her courage to open her heart to a world that tried to tear it out.
The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay
In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson
City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and
he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for
survival. Traveling by train from town to town, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell soon find a
new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the
business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is ultimately a story of awakening—to unexpected possibilities,
to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.
Young Adult Fiction
Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters.
But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler. Westie
was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may
seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the
memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to
stop her except her own reckless ways. But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to
invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs
as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the
family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to
prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now. This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.
Adult Non-Fiction
Somme: Into the Breach by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
Planned as a decisive strike but fought as a bloody battle of attrition, the Battle of the Somme claimed over a million
dead or wounded in months of fighting that have long epitomized the tragedy and folly of World War I. Yet by focusing on the first-hand experiences and personal stories of both Allied and enemy soldiers, noted military historian Hugh
Sebag-Montefiore defies the customary framing of incompetent generals and senseless slaughter. In its place, eyewitness accounts relive scenes of extraordinary courage and sacrifice, as soldiers ordered “over the top” ventured into No
Man’s Land and enemy trenches, where they met a hail of machine-gun fire, thickets of barbed wire, and exploding
shells.Rescuing from history the many forgotten heroes whose bravery has been overlooked, and giving voice to their
bereaved relatives at home, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore reveals the Somme campaign in all its glory as well as its misery,
helping us to realize that there are many meaningful ways to define a battle when seen through the eyes of those who lived it.
The Great Kananaskis Flood: A Disaster That Forever Changed the Face of Kananaskis Country by Gillean
Daffern
The great Kananaskis flood of 2013 came with no warning. The rains started late in the afternoon of June 19th
and didn’t let up until the 23rd. Rivers and creeks, swollen to unprecedented size and fury cut off the towns of
Canmore and Exshaw and flooded the village of Bragg Creek. Calgary’s premier recreation playground. Kananaskis Country, was devastated: Roads, bridges, infrastructures and trails were washed away, leaving tourists
and business owners stranded. After a massive evacuation the whole of Kananaskis Country was shut down. This is the story in
words and photographs of the flood showing the event itself, the aftermath and assessment of damage and the rebuilding phase that
is still ongoing three years later. Of particular interest are pictures taken before and after the landscape changed.
Readalikes
Discover new books & authors
Nordic Noir
The Bat by Jo Nesbø, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett
Harry is out of his depth. Detective Harry Hole is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl taking a gap
year in Sydney has been murdered, and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can. He's not supposed
to get too involved. When the team unearths a string of unsolved murders and disappearances, nothing will stop Harry
from finding out the truth. The hunt for a serial killer is on, but the murderer will talk only to Harry. He might just be
the next victim. First in the Harry Hole series.
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell, translated from the Swedish by Steven T. Murray.
It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to
death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn't present enough problems for the
Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman's last word is foreign , leaving the police the one tangible clue
they have-and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden's already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments. Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecuter who has peaked
his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime
before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to
solve. First in the Kurt Wallander series.
Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, translated from the Danish by Lisa Hartford
The Keeper of Lost Causes, the first installment of Adler- Olsen's Department Q series, features the deeply flawed chief
detective Carl MØrck, who used to be a good homicide detective-one of Copenhagen's best. Then a bullet almost took
his life. Two of his colleagues weren't so lucky, and Carl, who didn't draw his weapon, blames himself.
So a promotion is the last thing Carl expects. But it all becomes clear when he sees his new office in the basement. Carl's
been selected to run Department Q, a new special investigations division that turns out to be a department of one. With a
stack of Copenhagen's coldest cases to keep him company, Carl's been put out to pasture. So he's as surprised as anyone
when a case actually captures his interest. A missing politician vanished without a trace five years earlier. The world assumes she's
dead. His colleagues snicker about the time he's wasting. But Carl may have the last laugh, and redeem himself in the process.
Because she isn't dead . . . yet. First in the Department Q series.
Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder
A man is found murdered in his Reykjavik flat. There are no obvious clues apart from a cryptic note left on the body and
a photograph of a young girl's grave. Detective Erlendur is forced to use all the forensic resources available to find any
leads at all. Delving into the dead man's life he discovers that forty years ago he was accused of an appalling crime. Did
his past come back to haunt him? Erlendur's search leads him to Iceland's Genetic Research Centre in order to find the
disturbing answers to the mystery. This prize-winning international bestseller is the first in a new series of crime novels
set in Iceland. First in the Inspector Erlendur series.
The Hypnotist by Lars Keplar
Captivated by a triple homicide, Detective Inspector Joona Linna investigates the murder of a family as she searches for
the oldest daughter who escaped the carnage but is reported missing. The only surviving witness is the intended victim,
the boy who watched his family be murdered after being stabbed over one hundred times. He is in no condition to be
questioned and desperate for information, Linna enlists Dr. Erik Maria Barks to hypnotize the boy so she can discover
what he saw. Frist in the Detective Inspector Joona Linna series.
Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg, translated by Tiina Nunnally
She thinks more highly of snow and ice than she does of love. She lives in a world of numbers, science and memories-a dark, exotic stranger in a strange land. And now Smilla Jaspersen is convinced she has uncovered a shattering crime...
It happened in the Copenhagen snow. A six-year-old boy, a Greenlander like Smilla, fell to his death from the top of his
apartment building. While the boy's body is still warm, the police pronounce his death an accident. But Smilla knows
her young neighbor didn't fall from the roof on his own. Soon she is following a path of clues as clear to her as footsteps
in the snow. For her dead neighbor, and for herself, she must embark on a harrowing journey of lies, revelation and violence that will take her back to the world of ice and snow from which she comes, where an explosive secret waits beneath the ice....
Other great Nordic noir authors: Camilla Läckberg, Stieg Larsson, Hans Olav Lahlum, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Kjell
Eriksson, Håkan Nesser, Karin Fossum, Helene Tursten, Liza Marklund
Coming Soon!
The following titles are currently on order.
Place your request today online, or in person at the Library
Adult Fiction
Seize the Night by Kelley Armstrong
History of Loneliness by John Boyne
Merrick by Ken Bruen
Suicide Motor Club by Chris Buehlman
Jealous Kid by James Lee Burke
Into the Savage Country by Shannon
Burke
Killing Winter by Tom Calloghan
Ruffle of Silk by Alys Clare
As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark
Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves
Man Who Fell from the Sky by Margaret
Coel
Insidious by Catherine Coulter
Garden of Lamentations Deborah Crombie
Ashes of Fiery Weather by Kathleen
Donohoe
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
Sleeper’s Castle by Barbara Erskine
Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
Terrible Virtue by Ellen Feldman
I’ll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable
Angora Alibi by Sally Gostenbaum
One Under by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Star Fall by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
House With No Windows by Nadia Hashimi
The Railwayman’s Wife by Ashley Hay
The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes
Fall of Moscow Station by Mark Henshaw
Detective Galileo by Keigo Higashino
Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand
Ghosts of Misty Hollow by Sue Ann Jaffarian
No Cats Allowed by Miranda James
Love You Dead by Peter James
Dead Ground in Between by Maureen
Jennings
Night and Day by Iris Johansen
Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman
End of Watch by Stephen King
Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger
Catalyst Killing by Hans Olav Lahlum
Sweet Tomorrow by Debbie Macomber
The Casebook of Newbury and Hobbes by
George Mann
High Stakes by George R.R. Martin
Against the Tide by Kat Martin
The Last Temptation Val McDermid
Kingdom of Darkness by Andy McDermott
Bury Them Deep by James Oswald
Prayer for the Dead by James Oswald
Christmas Escape by Anne Perry
The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell
Young Adult Fiction
Service of the Dead by Candace Robb
Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts
When the Music’s Over by Peter Robinson
Zero-G by William Shatner
Mandibles by Lionel Shriver
Big Showdown by Mickey Spillane
Magic by Danielle Steel
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
Fly by Night by Andrea Thalasinos
Foreign Agent by Brad Thor
Shattered Tree by Charles Todd
Ice Age by Fred Vargas
Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir
Deep Blue by Randy Wayne White
Adult Non-Fiction
The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to
Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb by Neal
Bascomb
Spinster: A Life of One’s Own by Kate
Bolick
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie
Brosh
Joe & Marilyn: Legends in Love by C.
David Heymann
Through the Eyes of a Belfast Child by
Greg McVicker
Nazi Hunters by Andrew Nagorski
It’s a Long Story by Willie Nelson
John McCrae: Beyond Flanders Field by
Susan Raby-Dunne
Price Paid: The Hidden History of Canada
by Bev Sellars
Suffer the Little Children: Genocide, Indigenous Nations and the Canadian State
by Tamara Starblanket & Ward Churchill
Time of Your Life by Margaret Trudeau
All the Major Constellations by Pratima
Cranse
Da Vinci’s Tiger by L.M. Elliott
Trilogy of Two by Juman Malouf
Soundless by Richelle Mead
OCDaniel by Wesley King
Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Tucholke
End of Fun by Sean McGinty
Surviving High School by Lele Pons
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel
Savit
A Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
Asking for It by Louise O’Neill
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Jerkbait by Mia Siegert
After the Woods by Kim Savage
Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun
Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Jade Lange
Stone Field by Christy Lenzi
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Gemini by Sonja Mukherjee
These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker
Longbow Girl by Linda Davies
Drag Teen by Jeffery Self
Railhead by Philip Reeve
Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha
Mabry
What We’re Reading
Staff Picks
Amy
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomás discovers an old journal. It hints at the existence of an extraordinary artifact that—if
he can find it—would redefine history. Traveling in one of Europe’s earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this strange treasure. Thirty-five years later, a Portuguese pathologist devoted to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie finds himself at the center
of a mystery of his own and drawn into the consequences of Tomás’s quest. Fifty years on, a Canadian senator takes refuge in his
ancestral village in northern Portugal, grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But he arrives with an unusual companion: a chimpanzee. And there the century-old quest will come to an unexpected conclusion.
Arlene
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
Two brothers, Arthur and Jake Dunn, are the sons of a farmer in the mid-1930s, when life is tough and another world war is looming. Arthur is reticent, solid, dutiful and set to inherit the farm and his father’s character; Jake is younger, attractive, mercurial and
dangerous to know – the family misfit. When a beautiful young woman comes into the community, the fragile balance of sibling
rivalry tips over the edge. Then there is Ian, the family’s next generation, and far too sure he knows the difference between right
and wrong. By now it is the fifties, and the world has changed – a little, but not enough. These two generations in the small town
of Struan, Ontario, are tragically interlocked, linked by fate and community but separated by a war which devours its young men –
its unimaginable horror reaching right into the heart of this remote corner of an empire. With her astonishing ability to turn the
ratchet of tension slowly and delicately, Lawson builds their story to a shocking climax.
Connie
Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong
When Olivia's life exploded--after she found out she was not the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious
pair of convicted serial killers--she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois. Working with
Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer with links to the town, she discovered the truth about her parents' crimes in
an investigation that also revealed the darker forces at work in the place that had offered her a haven. As if that wasn't enough, she
also found out that she, Gabriel and her biker boyfriend Ricky were not caught in an ordinary sort of love triangle, but were hereditary actors in an ancient drama in which the elders of Cainsville and the mysterious Huntsmen who opposed them had a huge
stake. Now someone is killing street kids in the city, and the police have tied Ricky to the crimes. Setting out with Gabriel's help to
clear Ricky's name, Olivia once again finds her own life at risk. Soon the three are tangled in a web of betrayals that threatens their
uneasy equilibrium and is pushing them toward a hard choice: either they fulfill their destinies by trusting each other and staying
true to their real bonds, or they succumb to the extraordinary forces trying to win an eternal war by tearing them apart.
Julie
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house.
Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer
about that before I rented all those kangaroos." "Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're
all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'
Kirstin
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But
Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France. An
ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into
her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one
false move can have dire consequences. For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi
secrets and power. The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to
Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.
Mary
The Table of Less Valued Knights by Marie Phillips
Sir Humphrey du Val of the Table of Less Valued Knights - Camelot's least prestigious table, boringly rectangular in shape and with
one leg shorter than the other so that it always has to be propped up with a folded napkin to stop it from rocking - has been banned
by King Arthur from going on quests, and hasn't left the castle in fifteen years. He's tempted out of his imposed retirement by
Elaine, who is looking for her kidnapped fiancé. She appears to be the classic Damsel in Distress, but turns out to have a big secret
to hide. Across the border in Puddock, the new young queen, Martha, is appalled to be married off against her will to the odious
Prince Edwin of Tuft. She disguises herself as a boy and runs away, but doesn't get very far before the Locum of the Lake - standing
in for the full-time Lady - intercepts her with some startling news: Martha's brother, the true heir to the throne of Puddock, is not
dead as she has always thought, and Martha must go on her own quest to find him. The two quests collide, entangling Humphrey,
Elaine and Martha's lives, and introducing a host of Arthurian misfits, including a twelve-year-old crone, a magic sword with a mind
of her own, a freakishly short giant, and not one but three men in iron masks.
Melvyn
Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call by Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson
Unsettling Canada chronicles the modern struggle for Indigenous rights covering fifty years of struggle over a wide range of historical, national, and recent international breakthroughs. As the son of George Manuel, who served as president of the National Indian
Brotherhood and founded the World Council of Indigenous Peoples in the 1970s, Arthur Manuel was born into the struggle. From
his unique and personal perspective, as a Secwepemc leader and an Indigenous activist who has played a prominent role on the international stage, Arthur Manuel describes the victories and failures, the hopes and the fears of a generation of activists fighting for
Aboriginal title and rights in Canada. This is an important contribution to the current literature about First Nations' perspectives on
their roles in the political and sovereignty movements across Canada from the 1950s, the White Paper, the Red Paper, Constitution
Express, Oka, RCAP, Delgamuukw, Sun Peaks, international lobbying, the Fourth World, and Idle No More. An important call to
action for all Canadians from a respected First Nation leader and activist.
Miranda
Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The daughter of a poor baker in rural Bengal, India, Sabitri yearns to get an education, but her family’s situation means college is an
impossible dream. Then an influential woman from Kolkata takes Sabitri under her wing, but her generosity soon proves dangerous
after the girl makes a single, unforgivable misstep. Years later, Sabitri’s own daughter, Bela, haunted by her mother’s choices, flees
abroad with her political refugee lover—but the America she finds is vastly different from the country she’d imagined. As the marriage crumbles and Bela is forced to forge her own path, she unwittingly imprints her own child, Tara, with indelible lessons about
freedom, heartbreak, and loyalty that will take a lifetime to unravel. In her latest novel, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores the
complex relationships between mothers and daughters, and the different kinds of love that bind us across generations.
Sharon
Shtum by Jem Lester
Powerful, darkly funny and heart-breaking, Shtum is a story about fathers and sons, autism, and dysfunctional relationships. Ben
Jewell has hit breaking point. His ten-year-old son Jonah has severe autism and Ben and his wife, Emma, are struggling to cope.
When Ben and Emma fake a separation - a strategic decision to further Jonah's case in an upcoming tribunal - Ben and Jonah move
in with Georg, Ben's elderly father. In a small house in North London, three generations of men - one who can't talk; two who won't
- are thrown together.
Victoria
Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne
and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have
to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. In the neighboring
kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the secondborn prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to
make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart. But Lorelai is
nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and
troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess
the one thing she still has left to lose.
Source: goodreads.com
Film Picks
Highlights from our Special Film Collection
September Spotlight
School Days
The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick. In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush,
hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One
new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. He is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old
Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied - even if it means sitting in a
classroom alongside six-year-olds. Moved by his passionate plea, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don't want
to waste a precious school place on such an old man.
Monsieur Lahzar, directed by Philippe Falardeau. In Montreal, an elementary school teacher dies abruptly. Having
learned of the incident in the newspaper, Bachir Lazhar, a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, goes to the school to offer
his services as a substitute teacher. Quickly hired to replace the deceased, he finds himself in an establishment in crisis, while going through his own personal tragedy. The cultural gap between Bachir and his class is made immediately
apparent when he gives them a dictation exercise that is beyond their reach. Little by little, Bachir learns to better
know this group of shaken but endearing kids, among whom are Alice and Simon, two charismatic pupils particularly
affected by their teacher's death. While the class goes through the healing process, nobody in the school is aware of
Bachir's painful past; nor do they suspect that he is at risk of being deported at any moment.
Half Nelson, directed by Ryan Fleck. Dan Dunne is an idealistic inner-city junior high school teacher. Although he can
get it together in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives precariously separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey, catches him
in a compromising situation. From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship that
threatens either to undo them, or to provide the vital change they both need to move forward in their lives.
Picture Day, directed by Kate Melville. Forced to repeat her senior year in high school, Claire's reputation is sliding
from bad-ass to bad joke. At night, she escapes to would-be rock star Jim, while at school, she bonds with Henry, a
nerdy freshman she used to babysit. Eventually, Claire learns the difference between intimacy and friendship.
Summer Heights High, directed by Stuart McDonald, is a hilarious Australian mockumentary television series written
by and starring Chris Lilley who plays all three main characters. Set in the fictional Summer Heights High School in
an outer suburb of Melbourne, it is about the high-school life experience from the viewpoints of three individuals:
"Director of Performing Arts" Mr G; private-school exchange student Ja'mie King; and disobedient, vulgar Tongan
student Jonah Takalua. The series lampoons Australian high-school life and many aspects of the human condition and
is filmed documentary-style with non-actors playing supporting characters.
Source: rottentomatoes.com
S
ummer was waning and
the kingdom’s subjects
were gearing up for harvest and reaping the benefits of their gardens. The Royal Children would be returning
to their studies and the holiday
season was at an end. Much had
changed in the Royal Library. Lady Brianna and Lady
Cheri had worked their last shift
and bid the ladies farewell. This
scribe has researched the phenomena of twins, more specifically, twins who are both writers.
The Library Ladies
Lady Kirstin had been busy and
would continue to be very busy
since she had gone into labour
unexpectedly and delivered two
beautiful, healthy baby girls. Sir
Brent, Lady Kirstin, Princess Elspeth and Prince Rowan welcome
Princess Aisling and Princess Pippa into their family. Twins: Anthony and Peter Shaffer are famous dramatists and screenplay
writers whose works include
“Sleuth” and the Hitchcock thriller “Frenzy”.
Lady Victoria was helping by
filling in for Lady Kirstin. She was also very close to leaving
Lady Christina was glad to welcome her granddaughter back for her trip to the United Kingdom. It would be such an exfrom her summer holidays. She was busy planning the liciting holiday. Twins: Alex and Brett Harris were born in
brary budget; a task that could cause one to have a headache 1988 and were the youngest interns for the Alabama Subut she was very gifted in finance and all would be
preme Court which led them to co-author the book “Do Hard
well. Twins: Julius and Philip Epstein were both writers and Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations” at
co-wrote the screenplay for Casablanca which won them an age eighteen: the premise being that teens were far more
Oscar.
able to achieve than adults believed. This book was on the
best seller list for months.
Lady Connie would soon be returning to work after tending
to her mother after surgery. It is possible that working with Lady Amy had enjoyed her bike rally very much and had
books could be slightly easier than nursing duties but Lady
excellent stories with which to regale the ladies. She was
Connie was up to either task. Twins: Eppie Lederer and
helping the new ladies as they learned their job, which was
Pauline Phillips aka Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren
appreciated. Twins: Andrew Sean and Michael Greer are
were twins and advice columnists for 47 years. Their reader- both authors and web designers. Andrew has more accolades
ship was more than 90 million people. (before social media) as a writer for his novel “The Confessions of Max Tivoli” but
claims that without his brother’s help the novel would not
Lady Sharon was delighted to have her oldest daughter Lady have been published.
Jill visiting her from the realm of Northern Ireland. They
were taking her to see all the sights that the kingdom had to Lady Julie was learning very quickly and was a delight at
offer. Twins: British twins Ross and Norris McWhirter were work. She had an unfailing sense of humour which is very
co-founders of Guinness World Records books.
important in the Royal Library. Twins: Agnes and Margaret
Smith, also referred to as the Westminster Twins, were born
Lady Mary had really enjoyed the TD Summer Reading Pro- in Scotland and became academic experts in cataloguing Argram and was delighted with the attendance. She bid a sad
abic and Syriac manuscripts. Their contributions were incaladieu to Lady Morgan. Lady Morgan would be attending the culable to others in this field.
higher institute of learning in Edmonton. Twins: Juia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy wrote the first series about identical
Lady Arlene is the newest library lady and the others weltwins by identical twins. The series is called Trading Faces. comed her warmly. She had been a patron of the library for
years and had experience in the field. She was learning very
Lady Miranda was still being creative with the adult proquickly as well. Twins: Linda and Terry Jamison are known
gramming and was also getting ready to see Princess Lydia
as the “Psychic Twins”. These sisters have written books
off to kindergarten. Prince James would have some alone
about “The Psychic Intelligence” where they claim they can
time while his sister was off to learn about the
help you tune in to the power of your intuition.
world. Twins: Austin and Lev Grossman are twins who are
respected novelists but do not collaborate. People are more The Library Ladies welcome the new ladies and the new
familiar with Lev since he wrote the Magician Trilogy.
princesses and look forward to the future.
Wizard Melvyn was about to be creative and decorate the
children’s program room for Lady Mary. This was very
much appreciated since the decorations for the summer program were exquisite. Twins: Matthew and Michael Dickman co-authored a poetry collection in 2012 called “50
American Plays” that was lauded by poetry enthusiasts as an
exceptional work.
Written by your loyal scribe,
Lady Miss Mary